My tumble teacher kit

ABSTRACT

A tumbling kit containing necessary tools to instruct children in the art of tumbling at home. The kit contains a folding tumbling mat, an instructional handbook, adhesive cutouts of child-sized hands, feet and shapes, and a carrying case. The handbook allows the learner to get a full understanding of the skill by illustrating correct hand and foot placement for each tumbling skill along with complete written directions and teaching tips. By placing the adhesive cutouts onto the top surface of the tumbling mat in the different tumbling skill sequences as illustrated in the handbook, learners can get a visual picture of how to perform each skill. Because these cutouts are temporarily stuck to the mat&#39;s top surface, they can be pulled off and placed in several different skill sequences. The tumbling mat folds in half and slides into the carrying case. The cutouts and the handbook are stored in the back pocket of the carrying case. This is a portable, lightweight tumbling kit that is quick and simple for children and adults to carry, set-up, use and store.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—FIELD OF INVENTION

[0004] This invention relates to a portable tumbling mat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is generally very difficult to teach young children to performbasic tumbling skills such as forward rolls, handstands, cartwheels andthe like. Originally, the instruction of basic tumbling skills wasrestricted to time spent in a tumbling class with an instructor. Therewere no mats or instructional devices on the market which would enablehome instruction and home practice of skills taught in class.

[0006] Therefore, inventors created several types of instructional matsto teach basic tumbling skills in gymnastics. Many of these mats can beused at home. One example is a cartwheel mat. This is a vinyl tumblingmat with hands and feet permanently painted or silk-screened onto itssurface to illustrate the correct sequence of a cartwheel. Cartwheelmats are useful, however, they are restricted to teaching one skill. Thehands and feet aren't moveable. Therefore, they can not illustrate anyother tumbling skill sequence than that of a cartwheel.

[0007] Another example is rubber hand and feet cutouts that can beplaced in any tumbling sequence onto the surface of a tumbling mat. Theproblem with the cutouts is that they have no way of sticking to themat. When children try to follow them by standing on the feet andplacing their hands on the hands, the rubber cutouts tend to move out ofthe desired formation.

[0008] Present mats do not usually come with an instruction handbookwhich gives both verbal directions and a visual hand and foot placementguide illustrating several basic tumbling skills that simplifies thetumbling skill for parents and enables parents to understand a tumblingskill and teach it to their children at home.

[0009] Finally, many of the mats on the market today are much too heavyand awkward which makes for difficult portability and storage.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION—OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0010] The objects and advantages of my invention are:

[0011] (a) to provide a method of teaching basic tumbling skills topreschool and schoolage children at home.

[0012] (b) to provide a portable, lightweight tumbling kit that is quickand simple for children and adults to carry, set-up and store.

[0013] (c) to provide an all-inclusive tumbling kit contaning a tumblingmat, a handbook, a carrying case and moveable hands, feet and shapesthat stick to the top surface of the tumbling mat.

[0014] (d) to provide adhesive hands, feet and shapes which can be stuckonto the mat and placed in several different tumbling skill formationsallowing the instruction of many tumbling skills.

[0015] (e) to provide a handbook containing a verbal description anddirections as well as a visual picture of the hand and foot placement ofeach tumbling skill.

[0016] (f) to provide parents the knowledge and opportunity to guide andteach their children basic tumbling skills at home.

[0017] (g) to enable the at-home practice and reinforcement of tumblingskills taught in a gymnastics class.

[0018] (h) to provide a carrying case which makes for easy transport

[0019] Another advantage is to provide a way for parents and children tospend quality time together while participating in a fun and productiveactivity.

SUMMARY

[0020] This invention is directed to a portable, all-inclusive tumblingkit which provides parents and children with a method of teaching basictumbling skills to preschool and schoolage children at home. It alsoallows children to practice at home the skills they learn in agymnastics class. The hands, feet and shapes adhere to the mat's topsurface which prevents them from slipping and sliding. The hands, feetand shapes can be pulled off and placed in several different tumblingformations to give the child a visual picture of each skill. The correctplacement of the hands, feet and shapes is illustrated in the handbookfor each skill. The handbook also provides written directions andteaching tips for each skill. This kit can be easily put away and storedby folding the mat in half and sliding it into the carrying case. Thehandbook, hands, feet and shapes are placed in the side pocket of thecarrying case.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

[0021] The above as well as other features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent in the following descriptions of thedrawings.

[0022]FIG. 1A is a perspective view looking down on the tumbling mat.

[0023]FIG. 1B is a perspective view from the side of the matillustrating the way in which the mat folds in half

[0024]FIG. 1C is a perspective view from the side of the mat after themat has been folded in half

[0025]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mat looking down illustratingthe adhesive hand and foot placement of a tumbling skill.

[0026]FIG. 3A is a view of four adhesive hands which can be stuck ontothe mat.

[0027]FIG. 3B is a view of four adhesive feet which can be stuck ontothe mat.

[0028]FIG. 3C is a view of two adhesive circles which can be stuck ontothe mat.

[0029]FIG. 3D is a view of two adhesive rectangles which can be stuckonto the mat.

[0030]FIG. 4A is a view of the the instructional handbook.

[0031]FIG. 4B is a view of a page of the handbook showing theinformation that will be given for each skill.

[0032]FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the front side of the carryingcase which will carry the contents of the kit.

[0033]FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the back side of the carryingcase pointing out the pocket which will hold the handbook, the hands,the feet and the shapes.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0034]1 adhesive top of the tumbling mat

[0035]2 soft foam rubber padding

[0036]3 soft foam rubber padding

[0037]4 fold at the center of the mat

[0038]5 main compartment of the carrying case

[0039]6 carrying case handles

[0040]7 pocket on the back of the carrying case

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041]FIG. 1A shows a tumbling mat comprising of a top surface 1 whichenables the adhesive hands, feet and shapes to adhere to its surface.The base of the tumbling mat 2 and 3 is constructed from a soft foamrubber materal or the like. The foam rubber base 2 and 3 is divided inhalf so it can be folded at the center of the mat 4 as becomes apparentin FIGS. 1B and 1C.

[0042]FIG. 2 is an example of the correct hand, foot and body placementfor a specific skill. The skill shown in the example is a forward roll.Children must stand on the first set of feet FIG. 3B on the left thenplace their hands on the hands FIG. 3A. They will then look at theirtummy and place their shoulders on the rectangle FIG. 3D. After rolling,their feet will land on the second set of feet FIG. 3B and stand up tocomplete the skill. These directions and teaching tips are in thehandbook FIG. 4A.

[0043]FIGS. 3A through 3D are the hands, feet and shapes that will bestuck onto the top surface of the mat 1 to give the learner a visual tofollow while attempting a specific skill. They can be constructed of anadhesive material such as velcro or the like. FIGS. 3A through 3D can bestuck onto the top surface of the mat 1 and arranged in severaldifferent tumbling skill sequences. The hands FIG. 3A and feet FIG. 3Bare child-size.

[0044]FIG. 4A is a picture of the front of the “My Tumble TeacherHandbook”. FIG. 4B is shows the format of the information that will begiven for each tumbling skill. The name of the skill will be at the topof the page. A hand and foot diagram will show learners exactly how toplace the adhesive hands, feet and shapes FIGS. 3A through 3D onto thetop surface of the mat 1. Detailed step-by-step written directions andteaching tips are also given for each skill. This information will givethe learner a complete picture of how to perform the skill.

[0045]FIG. 5A shows the carrying case which will hold the entirecontents of this tumbling kit and allow for easy portability. Thiscarrying case can be constructed of either cotton or a vinyl material.The tumbling mat FIG. 1A will fold in half and slide into the maincompartment of the carrying case 5. The handbook FIG. 4A and the hands,feet and shapes FIGS. 3A through 3D can be placed into the back pocketof the carrying case 7. This pocket can either close by a snap, zipperor velcro. The handles 6 make it easy to carry the case.

[0046] Although the description above contains many specificities, theseshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but asmerely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferredembodiments of this invention.

I claim:
 1. A tumbling kit for teaching children basic tumbling skillsat home, comprising: (a) a folding tumbling mat of suitable size toaccommodate use by a preschool or schoolage child. (b) a plurality ofchild-size hand, feet and shape cutouts. (c) means for temporarilyadhesing said cutouts of child-size hands, feet and shapes to the topsurface of said folding tumbling mat so as to be able to place andremove said cutouts into a variety of tumbling sequences. (d) aninstructional handbook (e) a carrying case of sufficient size to holdsaid folding tumbling mat, said hand, feet and shape cutouts and saidinstructional handbook.
 2. A method of teaching a variety of tumblingskills to children at home comprising the steps: (a) removing saidfolding tumbling mat, said cutouts and said handbook from said carryingcase. (b) referring to said handbook for written instructions and avisual picture of correct sequential placement of said hand, feet andshape cutouts for the desired tumbling skill to be learned. (c) stickingsaid hand, feet and shape cutouts onto said top surface of said foldingtumbling mat placing said cutouts in correct sequential placement of thedesired tumbling skill to be learned. (d) attempting the desiredtumbling skill by following said cutouts arranged on the said topsurface of the said folding tumbling mat. (e) rearranging said cutoutsin several different tumbling skill sequences described and pictured insaid handbook. whereby said cutouts can be easily removed from said topsurface and placed into a number of different tumbling skill sequencesas illustrated and described in said handbook.
 3. An instructionalmethod of teaching tumbling skills to children that is convenient,comprising: (a) providing parents and children to spend time togetherwhile learning tumbling skills. (b) providing parents with said handbookgiving them the knowledge of teaching tumbling skills to their children.(c) providing schoolage children the opportunity to teach tumblingskills to themselves by referring to said handbook. (d) providingmoveable said cutouts that can be arranged to accommodate children ofall sizes. (e) providing a portable kit that can be easily stored insaid carrying case and transported by adults and children.